Nintendo Expected To Post Significant Loss For Year Ending March 31, 2013

Just a little less than three months ago, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata pledged to drastically improve the company's financial performance. With a promise of 100 billion yen operating profit for the coming fiscal year, the news he is about to deliver is nothing short of a setback.

According to Bloomberg, Iwata is set to announce an estimated annual operating shortfall of 18.7 billion yen. Analysts also project an operating profit of 70 billion yen for the fiscal year that began just three weeks ago, though it is very early to put much faith in them, especially as Microsoft and Sony are barely crossing the starting line for the next generation.

Even if those projections are spot-on, the financial performance falls short of Iwata's 100 billion yen commitment. The declining value of the yen against foreign currency has helped Nintendo, but the delays of major releases and a relatively weak library (especially in comparison to last week's impressive 3DS Nintendo Direct presentation), leave many consumers wondering why they should make the move to the Wii U.

I have a Best Buy Card with $700 on it. I want to read something on this WiiU to get me over there to buy it. So far its not happening. Nothings worse than buying a system that you know is bound to fail. When i use the stupid side of my brain i want to just say F it! It's Nintendo. They will have some awesome games. But i haven't seen squat. Soon that BB card is going to turn into a PS4. Hey, Nintendo. Just announce some games and give me some doctored screen shots and im yours. But on the third party support, its not happening. Oh, and Luigi's Mansion is amazing by the way.

this sucks because i used to be the ultimate Nintendo fan. However, the only real reason i bought a wii was in the hopes that they would produce quality games for ALL of there main characters:all the characters on super smash bros, as well as a new super smash bros. i cant justify the need for wii u because i just turned m wii on for the first time in six months to play mario galaxy 2. they need to get there stuff together and crank out some good games. nintendo fanboys are becoming a dying breed these days.

I just bought a Wii U too, hopefully Nintendo will bolster their lineup quite a bit in the coming months because the announced launch titles for the PS4 are going to steamroll Nintendo's lineup if it does not improve.

I'm not surprised at all. Nintendo hasn't been able to convince people to buy a Wii U when there are so few titles. I'd love to get some use out of mine, but when the biggest games that I really want are on the PS3 and Xbox while none are on the Wii U. It really sucks that the games I want for my Wii U are all far away such as Splinter Cell, Rayman, and games like Metroid and Zelda (That isn't a remake)

The author of this article has stated why Nintendo isn't focused on the WiiU just yet. Mike Futter writes "...as Microsoft and Sony are barely crossing the starting line for the next generation."

Meanwhile, in the portable market, Sony's Vita has already released and both portable consoles are competing with tablets, Droid and iOS. Clearly at this point in time, Nintendo MUST do everything possible to continue their 20+ year portable gaming dominance. It's being threatened now like never before.

As for the WiiU, they're just getting some start up titles out of the gate. When the PS4 and xbox720 are released, gaming site journalists will be musing about why gamers should make the switch from PS3 to PS4 and 360 to 720. I doubt we'll see an explosion of games at system launch.

I'm a believer in the WiiU. The controller is extremely capable/versatile and I can't imagine going back to my xbox for netflix; Yes. The experience is THAT much better. Finally, with exclusive developers like Miyamoto, you can't go wrong with this console.

I believe with Sony and Microsoft focusing on their consoles this E3, Nintendo will focus on the wave of games about to be released on it. Announcing WiiU titles before E3 will lesson the impact at E3. Nintendo has a history of secrecy and I bet they're gunning to win at E3.

The Wii U is a disappointment; that's all there is to it. Nintendo has really been wasting time for 2-3 years. And focusing too much on 3DS... which is great for that platform, admittedly. But they can't neglect their home console like this. They're the exact opposite of Sony with their support of PS3/PS4 and the Vita.
It's sad to see Nintendo slip so quickly into irrelevance. At least with the Wii, it was so successful that 3rd parties kept trying to crack that market for... 3, 4 years or so. But the Wii U has been all but abandoned already, especially with people ramping up game production for PS4, PC and stupid always-online Xbox Next.

its not that wii u is failing, the system is a great piece of hardware, its just competing with the wii/360/ps3... all of which are everywhere in the world, not to say a world that almost 70% in a economic crisis... no one has the money to just go buy a new video game system right now... not only that but the fact that we all spent a fortune on our current home consols, just to give that all up... keep in mind that a major part of the game worlds income is focused on kids, i got lots of friend who are just getting their first PS3 and 360, wii u is not a failed system with ipad,laptops,cell phone, the electronic market is just changing and kids these day dont want to sit around the house with their parents just to get the thrillof a video game, most of the money is from fan boys of nintendo, sony and microsoft... watch when the ps4 & nex box comes out the same little pattern will follow, might be hurt worst then nintendo giving the fact that it cost more to make a ps4 and nex box then is does a wii u, the worlds broke no parent is going to go by a new system just cause it come out... would you...

Many game magazine editors and game critics are haters. If they wrote the truth Nintendo will be getting accolades every article. Why are we letting 40-50 year old men with wives and children determine what fun for children.

Since these haters crappy systems will never compete with the big N they predict failure. Check the hate in this line...

but the delays of major releases and a relatively weak library (especially in comparison to last week's impressive 3DS Nintendo Direct presentation), leave many consumers wondering why they should make the move to the Wii U.

Really these haters don't have a WiiU? There not going to buy one...really? Game editors and critics will not play Mario U or the latest Zelda? The consumers are just wondering when to buy the Wii U not if they should get one. Everyones buying a Wii U including PS4 and xbox 720 lovers.

3.5 million Wii Us have been sold thus far. Put it like this. It's planned for Nintendo to drop first cause PS4 and 720 cant hang.

Once Nintendo cleans up and are on track then the comp will drop.

The Wii was so advanced 95% of developers couldn't make a game for the system. The hardware was too much. EA still can't make a decent Madden game for the Wii let alone Wii U. It'll require real usage of the system parameters and it easier to use the old models and charge stupid Microsucks and PlayedoutStation fans $60 to play last years game with a different coat of paint.